Beware the office waffler

Constant
interruptions and incessant waffling are the pet hate of UK office workers
according to latest research.

More
than a quarter of those questioned said that people interrupting meetings was
their pet hate, while a further 22 per cent claimed to hate persistent
waffling.

Sixteen
per cent said colleagues who tried to dominate meetings were their top ‘meeting
menace’, but one in five choose staff that tried to kill ideas as the most
irritating.

The
survey was commissioned by learning firm Video Arts, which then compiled a
range of profiles including the waffler, the dominator, the idea assassin, the
turf warrior and the interrupter.

Jeet
Khaira, CEO Video Arts, said that people often don’t realise they are being
irritating in meetings, as behaviour is often based on pure habit. He also
warned that certain characteristics can have an impact on the success of
meetings and business performance.

What
are you like in meetings?

The
waffler:Has difficulty
getting to the point, wastes time and contributes very little

The
dominator:Tries to take over the meeting, can be aggressive and is
dismissive of others

The
assassin:Disrespectful
and can strangle other people’s ideas

Turf
warrior:Very defensive,
short fused and will make counter accusations